In the world of information technology (IT), a network is made up of a series of nodes interconnected by communication paths. Networks often interconnect with computing devices of differing types and with other networks of various sizes. An enterprise network, for example, may interconnect with several local area networks (LANs) and one or more metropolitan area networks (MANs) or wide are networks (WANs).
An enterprise with a need to interconnect its various sub-networks with a broader network may do so by connecting some of the nodes on its network with nodes of the broader network. In many cases, this intermingling of smaller network assets actually helps create the broader network.
A given network may be characterized by several factors like who can use the network, the type of traffic the network carries, the typical nature of the network's connections, and the transmission technology the network uses. For example, one network may be public and carry circuit switched voice traffic while another may be private and carry packet switched data traffic. Whatever the make-up, most networks facilitate the communication of information between at least two nodes, and as such act as communications networks.
Given the potential complexity of a network, network operators and enterprises often invest a great deal of time and money managing and maintaining their networks. They usually supervise, monitor, and maintain their networks at a network operations center (NOC). A typical NOC is a room containing visualizations of the network or networks that are being monitored. The NOC may have workstations that show graphical representations of the network and provide a detailed and near real-time status of the network. In most cases, the network operations center is the focal point for network troubleshooting, performance monitoring, third party network coordination, software maintenance and distribution, as well as router and domain name management.